Monday, December 14, 2009

Strength

The main lesson I took from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is how to be strong, and by this I don't mean how many bench presses or push ups you can do; I am referring to willpower and determination. Throughout the novel Jane experiences many hardships and struggles. From childhood to adulthood she fights to find happiness. Jane is an inspiration; through her we learn that you must fight for every breath of your life, and no matter how bad things may look, you have to keep on going.

Jane gets picked on since childhood. Her Aunt Reed mistreats her; when it would be so much easier for Jane to just stop fighting her aunt and submit, she doesn’t. Jane is rebellious to the very end, and she never stops fighting for what she believes. She is strong although she does not know it, she is determined that she is right and she never gives up her beliefs. Her aunt and her cousins are practically prosecuting her, just because she isn't one of them. These types of experiences are traumatic for children. Jane is nothing more than a mere child; she has done no wrong. Yet, those around her attack her. As shown in this passage, “Take her away to the red-room, and lock her in there.” (Bronte 10). Jane's aunt decides to keep Jane locked up in the same room her uncle died in, and despite Jane's cries for help, her aunt keeps her in there. This would have a negative on many other people, Jane simply brushes the dust off her shoulders and moves on.

Let’s fast forward now. Things are starting to look up for Jane; she has a respectable job, a pleasant home, and she is even in love. She has fallen in love with Mr. Rochester and he has even proposed to her. Things are going her way; fate seems to favor her now. Yet, on the very day she plans to marry she learns that Mr. Rochester is already married. Her heart, her spirits were raised above the stars, only so that they could crashing back down. How heart breaking it must be to go through that. In the words of Alan in his blog, “She never thought that would happen to her in mass, the moment her life was suppose to change for good just back fired on her and became the moment where she lost her love, Mr. Rochester.”(The Love She Lost) She was so close to happiness, but out of nowhere a hand came and grabbed her back in, put her back in her place. For example, “Jane Eyre, who had been an ardent, expectant woman-almost a bride-was a cold, solitary girl again: her life was pale, her prospects were desolate.” (Bronte 300). For days she just can’t grasp it, yet she comes back to her senses and gets off the floor after one another of life’s mortal blows.

Jane has now done the only thing she could think of; she has fled Thornfield Hall and Mr. Rochester. But, there where a few things Jane overlooked and when she runs away she finds life ready to beat her down yet again and this time it is equipped with brass knuckles and a baseball bat. This time she shall be beat like never before. As Ana says in her blog, “ Jane has now degraded herself; she use to have a job and earn money now she has hit rock bottom. She has sunk into some kind of depression.” (Hitting Rock Bottom). Jane has faced many hardships before, but none quite like this one. Now she is entirely alone; no place to sleep and no food to eat. Take for instance, “: I lay on the ground some minutes, pressing my face to the wet turf. I had some fear-or hope-that here I should die: but I was soon up; crawling forwards on my hands and knees, and then again raised to my feet-as eager and as determined as ever to reach the road.” (Bronte 327). Homeless, cold, and starving she finds strength; part of her wishes to just give up and it tempts her, but she fights it off. Despite how broken she is how weak and fragile she continues to walk the long and strenuous path that we call life.

How is it that Jane was able to overcome these hardships? what strength did she find in herself that allowed her to move on? A fine example of her inner strength is shown in this passage, “No; you shall tear yourself away, none shall help you: You shall, yourself, pluck out your right eye: yourself cut off your right hand: your heart shall be the victim; and you, the priest, to transfix it.” (Bronte 302). And as Arof says in his blog, “Basically, what Charlotte Bronte is telling us through Jane is that life is truly a gamble and you are the only thing that can better it.”(Life's a gamble, Have fun). Jane is strong because she knows the only way her situation is going to change, is if she changes it. That is what drives her. She knows that if she's stuck in a hole no one will pull her out; she has to climb out

Jane went through a lot, but in the end it was worth it. As Liszette says in her blog ''After everything Jane has been through, she has finally found happiness. She has been through so many hardships.''(Love Prevails). Jane was strong throughout and she fought with everything she had. Most of all Jane taught me to keep going no matter what. No matter how dark the tunnel is you need to keep on walking or crawling or whatever it is you can; no matter how many times you stumble into something keep pushing through the darkness so that you may one day find the light.

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